Different ways to see autism’s beauty
I disagree about relating the color gray to autistic people [“Why gray can speak to many autistic voices,” Musings, Jan. 26].
Every time I interact with the beautiful, talented, and glowing young lady in my family, I see that she sparkles! She is anything but gray.
If I could describe her in colors, I’d say she radiates sparkles of gold and silver.
Her mind is filled with ideas, and her hands move with flashes of light. So, we see different things, I guess. That is the true beauty of autism.
— Barbara Pignataro, Massapequa
LI ‘Idol’ singer a role model for stutterers
The article “LIer who stutters wows judges at ‘Idol’ audition” [Flash!, Jan. 25] was right on target. Jesse Findling, from Massapequa Park, is putting a human face on stuttering in a compassionate way.
It was fortuitous for The Stuttering Foundation that it was mentioned in the article about the “American Idol” contestant because its website, stutteringhelp.org, has a list of “Famous People Who Stutter” that includes famous singers such as Ed Sheeran and Carly Simon. It seems that Findling, 20, is in good company.
— Michael Crisci, Astoria, Queens
Let’s reopen cafe for regular customers
I sympathize with the reader who had rats enjoying the fallout from his bird feeder [“Backyard cafe is now closed,” Musings, Jan. 26]. When we faced a similar situation, we switched to suet feeders. Suet cakes are solid food that does not melt or leave food on the ground as often.
The birds love it and we get to still enjoy their company without squirrels and other unwanted critters ruining the experience.